While the world was busy figuring out Donald Trump's reciprocal tariff move and its fallout, the United States quietly made a massive military move in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region.
The Pentagon ordered the largest-ever deployment of B-2 bombers in the Indian Ocean. Satellite images have shown at least six B-2 stealth bombers parked along the military base runway in Diego Garcia - a joint Indian Ocean military base of the US and Britain. There may be more in shelters or hangars impenetrable by satellite or radar.
The United States has a total of 20 B-2 stealth bombers - the world's most advanced military aircraft, of which six have now been deployed in the Indian Ocean Region - that's roughly 30 per cent of its fleet, accounting for a massive strategic move.
This satellite image by Planet Labs PBC shows six American B-2 bomber planes in Diego Garcia (AFP Photo)
Besides this, the US has also planned to increase its aircraft carrier presence in the Indo-Pacific region from one to three - two in the Indian Ocean and one in the western Pacific, near the South China Sea.
The Pentagon has planned for the USS Carl Vinson to head to the Middle East while the USS Harry S. Truman will continue ops from the Arabian Sea. The third aircraft carrier - the USS Nimitz and its carrier strike group fleet will move towards the South China Sea.
But this is not the end of US' massive deployment surrounding Asia. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that US Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth has "also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities." He however, did not elaborate what these squadrons or assets would comprise.
WHY THE SUDDEN MASSIVE DEPLOYMENT?
After the sudden and massive military deployment, the Pentagon justified it saying "This has been done to improve America's defensive posture in the region. The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security, and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region."
YEMEN AND THE HOUTHIS
Though no country or terrorist organisation was named directly, several defence analysts point to the situation in the Middle East and south Asia - especially Iran and Yemen. Over the last fortnight, US President Donald Trump has steadily increased military action against the Yemen-based Houthis - a militant group backed by Iran - which has been targeting American merchant and military ships over US' support to Israel. Iran and all its "proxies" have been supporting Hamas - a US-designated terror organisation in Gaza, which is currently at war with Israel.
But defence experts say that the scale of the US military deployment is far too big to be just for the Houthis or for Iran. They argue that two B-2 bombers - each with a payload capacity of 40,000 pounds - would have been more than sufficient to tackle the militants in Yemen.
Last week, Donald Trump had openly warned the Houthis and its backers in Iran. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump wrote, "Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran."
IRAN'S NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Over the last month, Donald Trump has mounted pressure on Iran to renegotiate its nuclear deal - a move that Tehran has outrightly rejected. In an interview to Fox News last month, President Trump had said, "There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I'm not looking to hurt Iran."
Donald Trump made the US exit what he had called a "bad nuclear deal" with Iran during his first term. He now wants Iran to engage in talks in order to bring a new and improved nuclear deal.
In his 2017-2021 term, Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. President Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions.
But since then, Iran has far surpassed that deal's limits on uranium enrichment.
President Trump now wants a new deal, and has not ruled out the use of force. Washington may consider destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and labs, and thereby finish off Iran's nuclear weapons programme, should Tehran not be willing to talk.
Speaking about Iran, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Thursday that "The Secretary of Defence continues to make clear that, should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people." Though he did not mention anything about nuclear talks with Tehran.
CHINA AND RUSSIA
Such a massive deployment of America's most advanced fighter aircraft, bombers, and aircraft carriers, is also aimed at sending a signal to China and Russia, who are Iran's allies in the region.
Washington's move to deploy the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in the western Pacific also sends a clear message to Beijing that the US is serious about safeguarding its interest in the Indo-Pacific region.
And the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson in the Middle East sends a similar message to Moscow.
